Two arrested over theft, illegal possession of firearms in Lilongwe

Lilongwe Police arrested two people over illegal possession of four fire arms and 47 live ammunition, suspected to have been stolen from a certain government department in Lilongwe.

According to Lilongwe Police Public Relations Officer, Hastings Chigalu said the suspects have been identified as Rabson Potifala, 25, and Paul Dyson, 25, both, Chinsapo location residents.

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“Following a tip-off that some people were offering for sale dangerous weapons, Lilongwe Police detectives hit the ground well equipped, where the two suspects were separately arrested.

“After a search at the suspects’ houses, police recovered three rifles, ammunition, a heavy duty welding machine, and two Machinery Mountains,” he explained.

Chigalu said the suspects led detectives to a certain Indian national (name withheld) whom they sold one rifle, and made a recovery of the same.

“After further grilling, the suspects later led law enforcers to various shops in town where recovery of five big solar panels, four solar power inverters, three solar power controllers, 80 welding loads packets, among others, were recovered.

“All these items, including the rifles and ammunition were stolen from a certain government department, (name withheld),” he added.

Suspiciously, at Lilongwe Police Station, no report was received on the missing of the same despite a year passing since the items started finding their way out of the department’ warehouse.

Lilongwe Police has intensified investigations into the circumstances involved in the theft.

The suspects, Rabson Potifala who is a watchman, hails from Chigumula Village, Traditional Authority (TA) Mavwere, Mchinji, whilst Paul Dyson, a hardware dealer, hails from Kandiwo Village, TA Kapeni in Blantyre District.

In another development, the station has recovered 30 irrigation pipe rolls of 100 metres each that were stolen at Invegrow, a company situated along Airwing Road that deals in Cannabis farming.

Three suspects, including a watchman have been arrested.

All suspects will appear in court soon to answer charges.

Mana/nm/tha